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"Full time independent travel blogger based in Thailand. Tweeting anything to do with Travel, Food & Festivals, and translating Breaking News from the Thai media." - บล็อกเกอร์ชาวต่างชาติซึ่งเขียนบทความเกี่ยวกับการเดินทางท่องเที่ยวในไทย

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Thai Monk Caught with his Pants Down

The Thai media seem to love it when they can catch a monk in a compromising situation. Either being drunk or eating at a restaurant with a woman. But this one posted today on YouTube is a classic “caught in the act” for this Thai monk from a temple in Khon Kaen. Monks are not allowed to be alone with women but this one was caught by police alone in a hotel room with a 21 year old prostitute. Apparently he paid her 400 Baht (US$13.40) to sleep with her. It feels like almost every day now that there is a monk on the news for the wrong reason. What do you think, are the days of Buddhism numbered or are these still isolated incidents?

70 Responses to Thai Monk Caught with his Pants Down

Ramesh,
I still maintain the fact that monks committed crimes or scandals are still not as bad as the churches who still carry on cheating the public when they should know by now the jesus christ thing is fake. It’s proven to have copied from horus joseph and buddha. It don’t bother most people too. Are you aware ?

Buddhism is about practice. It is not a belief such as that by just sincerely believe in your God, your God bring you to heaven one day.

For Buddhism, is more about self practice, if you follow the Buddha teaching and lead your life, you can become Buddha one day. There is no Lord & Followers. Follower will not become the Lord one day. In Buddhism, every one is equal and will become a Buddha if you sincerely lead the Buddhism way.

I am not here to do Buddhist teaching, I just want to clarify, for those who has very shallow knowledge in Buddhism, do not understand truly how complete Buddhism is, and how it describe the universal. Buddhism is a teaching, education more than a religious.

To think Buddhism day are number is ridiculous and laughable.
There are definitely many use the name of religious to commit crime, not restricted to Buddhism, as Stanley mention.

If you shear your head, wear a monk clothing do not automatically qualify you as a monk that associate with Buddhism.
The path, the way of life you lead is the key to justify if you are doing Buddhism way which will lead you to enlightenment one day.

However it is very easy to let people who do not know in depth about Buddhism, after seeing someone claim to be a monk involved in a scandal, began to point finger or write this issue associate with Buddhism which to me is totally uncalled-for.

Thank you for the explaination, Anthony.
I thought the Buddha is also called the Lord, no ?
It’s sad that when God created this world and humans, he made the mistake of not perfecting them. So we see some bad monks or bad priests. Maybe God is just testing these monks just like way Christianity believed ? I think the Buddhs is the only real messenger of god because he was the only religious leader that taught people to “understand” and be “wise” rather than to “believe” blindly. At least none of his teachings are rebutted by science.
I hope Robert & Leshaaaad find Buddhism useful but don’t become monks. No need.

Stanley, no, Buddha is not called Lord. Neither is Buddha a God messenger.
The word “Buddha” translated from old Indian word is “Wise being”, some one that achieve enlightenment, and realize everything about what the universal is all about.
Every human being, include you and me, in Buddhism perspective is a Buddha in origin, include animals that share the same dimensional with us, actual word to use is Soul, regardless of what form we take. Long then, something has happen, (which cannot be explain by any form of word understood by our human knowledge), that result us being born to this world as become human, or animal, or some beings in other planet.

Buddha who born to this world 5,000 year ago, came for a mission to teach us how to get back to our actual self, which is a Buddha, that can spare us away from all the suffers we have in this world.

You may wonder, what suffer? I am very happy now. It is amazing that not much of us realize the suffers we have is actually greater than the joys we have as a human being. We tend to remember the Love, sex, good food, entertainments, all these kinds of joys that bring to us. However when sickness, old age, death, parting with love one, all this sadness sit in, all the joys count nothing, the worst thing is “karma”, where we need to pay for the bad things we do in the next life or if the bad karma is too great we will be into the dimensional of suffering hell. Born to the animal world is also a result of bad karma.
There is no coincident someone born rich, or poor, beautiful or ugly, normal or handicap, clever or dumb etc. There is always a reason behind it.
Doing many good deeds in this life is a good karma, you will be repay in your next life, such as become rich, beautiful, famous etc, but is it good enough? NO, because the tendency of you doing bad thing in your next life increase especially being born rich.
So in Buddha perspective, clear up all your desire, return to where we should be, is the ultimate path to take. Stay out of this born, reborn cycle.

I came from a country that freedom to choose your religious. The theory of “Karma” attracted me more to choose Buddhism instead of others.
Buddhism teaching is the best ever, but of course, everyone will say his/her religious is the best.

Anthony,
Thank you again. Your explaination is simple and clear. I got curious in Buddhism after reading think monk incident and google for more info. From there, I also learn that christianity actually created from someone out of buddhism and islam was created out from christianity. Do you have any website where you can recommend to me to read up more about Buddhism in a easy and basic manner ? I like your type and style of Buddhism understanding and explaination.
Now I agree and wish to learn more.
So far I only understand karms because I can relate it to science action theory.
You mention 5000 years, fo you mean the2nd last buddhs ? I understanf the last Buddha was around 2500 years ago.
I read he was called Lord Buddha by some books and websies. Many those are done by westerners ?
I mentioned he is messenger of god just to please those who believed in a creator.god.Since they believe a creator god created the world and the buddha was the greatest teacher, he must be the real messenger

Day after day , week after week yet another bad Thai monk is exposed , the offenses ranging from distributing drugs , sexually molesting young children and a continuing myriad of other distasteful acts . In this case the abbott has been caught with his greedy little finger firmly stuck in the money pie.

The Monkie business Gravy Train just keeps rolling along

January 16 2015

The acting Supreme Patriarch has dismissed Phra Phromsuthi, the abbot of Wat Sa Ket, from the Supreme Sangha Council (SSC) — the clergy’s governing body.

Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn has signed an order under the 1962 Sangha Act to dismiss the monk from the council, effective from Wednesday.

Phra Phromsuthi: Continues other roles.

The director of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), Phanom Sornsilpa, yesterday confirmed the dismissal.

Phra Phromsuthi will continue his roles as the abbot of Wat Sa Ket and the chief of Sangha Region 12. It is up to the monk’s direct superiors in the monastic governing hierarchy to decide if they will also discipline him, Mr Phanom said.

He said the move followed the start of an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) into spending irregularities in a budget of 67 million baht for the funeral rites of Somdej Phra Buddhacharn, also known as Somdej Kiew, the former acting Supreme Patriarch and the former abbot of Wat Sa Ket.

The probe came after Chaithanapol Srijiwangsa, who represents the People’s Network Organisation for the Security of the Nation, Religion and the King, lodged a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission against Phra Phromsuthi.

Mr Chaithanapol had accused Phra Phromsuthi of embezzling money for the rites, by diverting it to a housing project for the monk’s relatives in Ayutthaya province.

Mr Phanom said yesterday the dismissal is aimed at allaying any public concerns and preventing any repercussions that could affect the SSC and the monastic community as a whole.

Mr Phanom said the OAG had informed His Holiness in writing about the spending irregularities three times.

The latest letter the OAG sent to the acting Supreme Patriarch was dated on Jan 8 this year, Mr Phanom said.

He said the next step will be to find a new monk to replace Phra Phromsuthi on the SSC.

Learning about his dismissal yesterday, Phra Phromsuthi only said he was willing to accept the acting Supreme Patriarch’s order.

The Yingluck Shinawatra cabinet approved a budget of 67 million baht for the funeral rites on Jan 21, 2014. The budget plan was proposed by the NOB.

Somdej Phra Buddhacharn, the former abbot of Wat Sa Ket, passed away on Aug 10, 2013. The cremation took place on March 9 last year at Wat Sirintharawat.

Yet another bad Thai monk , this sort of article is becoming a common daily occurrence where yet another saffron deceiver is outed , talk about a ground hog day situation . Over time it now becoming very apparent that their are legions of these shameful and distasteful types of monks, and many in positions of trust .

I thought the new year would at least bring a positive change and hopefully start mending the past damage brought on by what seems to be an ever increasing numbers of saffron bad apples .

But sadly its not to be .

I’m sure that even the staunchest saffron gang supporter , will scratch their head in amazement as they read the following. You just could not make this up .

17 January 2015

The abbot of a Buddhist forest monastery in Phetchabun has shocked his fellow monks and Buddhist followers after admitting to a sexual affair with a close male aide.

However, Phra Kasem Arjinnasilo claims that since he acted “without consciousness”, the act was not grounds for defrocking him.

He made the surprising declaration in front of about 50 monks and followers who had gathered at the monastery to hold an internal inquiry about the allegations. The meeting was also broadcast on the popular monastery’s YouTube channel.

The sexual encounter with a 34-year-old male disciple was alleged to have taken place in the monastery’s compound.

Phra Kasem: Outspoken acts have landed him in trouble before. (Photo from the monk’s Facebook page)

“If you ask what I plan to do from now on, I don’t know,” the abbot said. “If I am asked to leave the monkhood, where will I stay? I am alone and could not return home as I had left my family to enter the monkhood.”

His remarks drew mixed reactions from his fellow monks and laymen. Many said the senior monk breached his vow of celibacy and that he must be defrocked. But some junior monks argued that the abbot’s defence of acting “without consciousness” had some merit.

They agreed that a panel of senior monks should be asked to investigate. However, provincial and national Buddhist authorities appear ready to step in to conduct a more formal probe.

Sivanart Saenkaew, the abbot’s personal manager and aide, said an inquiry must be set up, and if the abbot is found guilty he must leave the monkhood.

The outspoken abbot had previously come under heavy criticism after he was seen putting his foot on a table holding alms donations.

He also caused outrage two years ago when a video on YouTube showed him stepping on the base of a Buddha statue, slapping the statue’s face and putting a sign on the brass statue urging people not to worship it because it wasn’t Lord Buddha.

He was taken to court for tarnishing Buddhism and the Appeals Court handed him a suspended two-year jail term and a 20,000-baht fine. The Udon Thani Sangha where the monk was originally ordained had ordered him to leave the monkhood, but Phra Kasem continued to practise.

A source in the National Buddhism Office said that an investigation by the monastic authorities into the latest allegations to establish the facts would be needed, but statements gathered during the inquiry by disciples could not be used.

The Phetchabun provincial monastic committee would be responsible for a proper probe, said the source.

According to Buddhism, sexual act between 2 consent adult is allowed. Although committed by monks is against their “precepts”, it’s not as bad as those committed between the priests and altar boys who are not adults yet. If you take the trouble to Google for news with words like religious sex scandal or abuse, you will be shocked to find that there are more sex scandals among the Catholics Christians priests compared to any other religions or professions in the world. They have been a record of sex abuses that involved 5000 priests in the last 50 years !! ( Google 5000 priests 50 years). The irony is their Pope’s seem to to do nothing and allow it to carry on.
Having said that and knowing these few That monk cases, I have full respect for Thailand and Buddhism for their transparency and honesty over the matter.